Search Site

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Root, root, root for the new citizens

Thoughts about nationalization ceremonies being held at baseball games? Too informal and non-serious? Does the "frivolity of hotdogs, peanuts and Cracker Jack" detract from the solemnity of the citizenship ceremony? Or is it a subtle recognition that baseball was, at least a century ago, the vehicle through which immigrants and new citizens became American (unfortunately, neither baseball nor welcoming new people to the American policy are as popular as they once were). And what if some jerks at the game decided to jeer or hold "go back where you came from" signs?

Comments

I saw the Tigers' Placido Polanco being administered the oath of citizenship along with 100 others at Tiger Stadium. It was a great ceremony, and everyone cheered, even the Indians fans in attendance.

Posted by: Robert Van Der Velde | Sep 12, 2019 3:58:36 PM

I became a naturalized citizen at the Orange Bowl in Miami, with about 20,000 other people (most of them Marielitos). It wasn't actually at a sporting event. Then-VP George Bush drove out to midfield in a golf cart to administer the oath of citizenship.

Posted by: Daniel S. Goldberg | Sep 11, 2019 2:08:23 AM

Do those taking the oath have any choice about when and where?

Posted by: J. Bogart | Sep 11, 2019 1:26:54 AM

I attended a recent naturalization ceremony here in flyover country. It was at a rented event hall, and the only trappings of ceremony were a) the disingenuous (and groan-inducing) 'welcome' video from President Trump; b) a video showing various archive shots of Ellis Island immigrants; and c) an interminable speech by the local USCIS official. Yet the ceremony was still magical in its own way, mostly because of the family and friends gathered to celebrate a really important achievement. Doing it at a baseball game would seem to cheapen the experience, especially the all-important swearing-in.